Kinship terms like mother and son are words used by a specific culture to describe various familial relationships. Such terminologies include words used to address members of one's own family as well as words used to identify people's relationships to one another. Kinship terms generally distinguish between the sexes and generations and indicate whether people […]
Over the centuries, as styles of clothing change and evolve, so too do the ways in which men wear their facial hair. In 18th-century Europe, the chinstrap, a narrow line of beard that grows along the chin and jaw, gained popularity, while the handlebar moustache, with its characteristically lengthy ends, is considered stereotypical of the […]
Calorie restriction (CR), a diet known by many names, is the practice of limiting dietary energy intake with the intention of improving overall health and slowing the aging process. While caloric intake among practitioners is limited, care is taken to ensure that dieters receive adequate vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. CR has been shown to lower […]
A precocious performer known for her dimples and golden curls, Temple was a child actress who became America's most popular female star and Hollywood's top box office attraction in the Great Depression era. In 1934, she made nine movies, leaping to stardom with Little Miss Marker and winning a special Academy Award that year. She […]
Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his humor and satire. He settled in London in 1729 and began writing comedies, farces, and burlesques, including Tom Thumb. Two of his satires attacked the Walpole government and provoked the Licensing Act of 1737, which initiated censorship of the stage and ended his career as […]
Weber was a German sociologist and political economist whose most famous and controversial work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, examines the relationship between Calvinist—or Puritan—morality, compulsive labor, bureaucracy, and economic success under capitalism. Weber also wrote about social phenomena such as charisma and mysticism, which he saw as antithetical to the modern […]
The Battle of Clontarf was a decisive battle fought between Irish forces under the high king of Ireland, Brian Boru, and a Viking army formed by Sitric, king of the Dublin Norse. Brian's forces defeated the Vikings at Clontarf, near Dublin, but he was killed shortly thereafter by fleeing Norsemen. Brian's victory broke Viking power […]
The first Earth Day was organized in 1970 to promote ecological ideas, encourage respect for life on earth, and highlight growing concern over pollution of the soil, air, and water. Earth Day is now observed in more than 140 nations with outdoor performances, exhibits, street fairs, and television programs that focus on environmental issues. In […]